Okazu is a dish served in traditional Japanese meals that complements rice. It can be protein-based or made with vegetables and adds seasoning, texture, and nutrition. Fish dishes are common, and vegetables like potatoes, green beans, and spinach are also used. In contemporary Japan, Western-style meat dishes, salads, and noodles are also served. Okazu is often classified as an appetizer in Japanese restaurants outside of Japan.
Okazu is the collective name for one or more dishes served in a traditional Japanese meal. These dishes complement the starchy staple food, traditionally rice, served at the same time. A dish can be protein based or it can be a type of vegetable or a blend of vegetables. Outside of Japan the word is often used to refer to a dish of mixed meat and vegetables served with rice.
Go-han, the word for cooked rice, is also used in Japanese for “meal.” Okazu adds seasoning, texture and nutrition to that of rice; a meal usually includes two or more types of these dishes, and most diners add chunks of each to bites of rice. The soup, usually made from miso, a fermented soybean paste, is the third part of a traditional Japanese meal.
The primary okazu in a meal is traditionally a protein-based type of dish. Fish dishes are very common. This can be any of a number of fish, and be cooked in many different ways, from stewed to fried, or even pickled. A dish made with surimi, a formed fish paste, is another possible protein-based dish, while chicken and pork are other possible traditional choices that can be prepared in a variety of ways such as grilled or fried.
Many of the dishes are made with vegetables; osai, a synonym of okazu, literally means “vegetables”. Some are made with starchy vegetables such as potatoes or sweet potatoes. Others are made with green vegetables, possibly green beans, spinach or kale. Cooked bean dishes, usually soybeans, are another option. Hashi yasume is a particular type of okazu designed to offer a strong contrast to the bland taste of the rice. Various pickled vegetables are often served in this role.
In contemporary Japan, okazu are many Western-style meat dishes such as curries, meatballs, or stew. Eggs or sausages are sometimes served, while various types of salads offer alternatives to vegetable dishes. Noodles may be served instead of rice, or both may be offered.
Japanese restaurants in other countries often classify these dishes as appetizers even though a traditional meal isn’t complete without them. Another type of restaurant specializes in offering many kinds of dishes. In Japanese-influenced home cooking, okazu is often used as the name for a single dish of meat and vegetables typically seasoned with soy sauce and a sweetener and served with rice on the side.
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